A man from Litchfield, Illinois has been charged with disseminating child sexual abuse material as part of an ongoing effort by Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office to address online child exploitation. Dean Beasley, 19, faces four counts of disseminating child sexual abuse material in Montgomery County Circuit Court. Each count is a Class X felony and carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by the court. Beasley is currently held at the Montgomery County Jail pending his detention hearing.
Attorney General Raoul stated, “Survivors and their families may never heal from the trauma caused by child exploitation, and they deserve to see the individuals who trade and download these heinous images and videos held accountable. My office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to find and stop individuals who exploit minors.”
The arrest followed a search conducted by investigators from Raoul’s office together with officers from the Illinois State Police South Central Illinois Drug Task Force at Beasley’s residence on W. Ferdon St., where evidence was found. The prosecution will be handled jointly by the Attorney General’s office and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s office.
Authorities remind the public that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, investigates crimes involving child exploitation and provides training for law enforcement agencies across Illinois. The task force receives reports known as CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Reports increased significantly in recent years; in 2025 alone, there was a 45% rise compared to 2024.
Illinois’ ICAC Task Force is one of 61 such groups nationwide, comprising over 200 agencies at various levels of government. Since 2019, it has received more than 76,500 CyberTips and participated in over 1,800 arrests related to sexual predators; since its inception in 2006, it has contributed to more than 2,500 arrests statewide. In addition to investigations and rescues—over 30 children were rescued from ongoing abuse in 2025—the task force has provided internet safety education for over one million parents, teachers, students, as well as more than 25,000 law enforcement professionals.
Attorney General Raoul encourages reporting suspected child sexual exploitation at cybertipline.com or suspected child abuse at dcfsonlinereporting.dcfs.illinois.gov; information about local advocacy centers can be found at childrensadvocacycentersofillinois.org.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Nicole L. Bartell will prosecute this case for Raoul’s office.
The work undertaken by the Illinois Attorney General extends beyond criminal prosecution; according to its official website, the office advocates for vulnerable populations such as workers, immigrants and seniors while also handling thousands of consumer complaints annually (source). The agency aims to protect consumers’ interests while promoting safer communities across Illinois (source), supports crime victims through partnerships with law enforcement (source), offers services including complaint filing related to fraud or civil rights issues (source), and advances advocacy efforts throughout the state (source).
